Christmas in Poland: 7 Reasons to plan a winter trip to Poland

With people booking Christmas holidays in various popular European destinations, Poland may not pop up as an obvious holiday destination. Although, being super cold, Poland has a lot to offer as a perfect place for a weekend getaway, a skiing trip, or a gastronomic escapade. Poland is slowly climbing the overall charts of popularity as a tourist destination and it needs all the attention even in winters. On my recent visit, I have been charmed and here are 7 reasons why you should spend Christmas in Poland.

1. Snow: Because it makes everything look beautiful

When the Polish cities deck up the streets for Christmas it looks straight out of a Hollywood movie – the right amount of magic Christmas is supposed to have. The freshly fallen snow leads to a special atmosphere in the festivities and a ‘white Christmas’ is almost guaranteed in Poland. Make the most of festivities by enjoying Christmas in Poland.

2. Less crowds = More fun

Unlike summer when Poland is popular as tourist destination, winter will have less tourists and more locals in the churches, markets and forts. It is a great opportunity to mingle with the Polish locals and get to know more stories about the place.

Poles are extremely friendly and will go out the way to help you, even if they cannot speak english. Their hospitality is flawless.

A lesser crowded Christmas market @ Old Quarter of Warsaw

3. Christmas markets

With cute fairy lit huts, stalls selling everything from Pierogi to mulled wine, there is lot of festive entertainment including carol singing in traditional attire, art performances, orchestra sessions etc. Every big square in Polish cities is turned into a Christmas market from the first week of December. They are the one stop destination for all the festive frolic and a place to stock up on the Christmas candies and last minute gifts for family and friends.

Christmas candies

Most Christmas markets and the popular city squares are turned into pop-up ice rinks. A fairy light canopy, musicians playing Christmas songs and Polish food, will make you get your skates on and roll over the ice. If skating is not your thing, simply stand on the sidelines and watch the enthusiasts have fun while sipping on the hot chocolate or kawa (Polish coffee with milk).

Ice rink in Old town square

If you visit Krakow around Christmas, you will notice cribs featuring the city’s beautiful baroque and gothic buildings and are called ‘Szopki’. These are models made by locals and displayed in Market Square. The details and use of colours is mindblowing.

Gothic cribs installed near main city squares; Krakow

4. Delicious food and drinks

There will be no dearth of delicious food in the markets as well as malls or train stations. Restaurants and stalls will put their Christmas menu up and you can indulge in Polish as well as global cuisine. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, fret not as there plenty of options to choose from. Even the Polish cuisine has some delicious vegetarian dishes to try! Some of the famous Polish worth trying are Pierogi, Bigos, Rosół, Gołąbki, Placki ziemniaczane, Łazanki, Czarnina, Zurek, Grochowka, Zupa pomidorowa.

Mulled wine locally also known as Grzaniec Galicyjski and otherwise popular as Glühwein or Glögg is a spiced warm wine. I never knew wine could be served hot and spicing it up could make up for a such a comforting drink in the cold weather. There will be lot of stalls serving the mulled wine as you go around the city. If this doesn’t convince you to plan Christmas in Poland, i don’t know what will!

Mulled wine available in plenty at Christmas markets and restaurants

5. Festive architecture

Every possible fort and public building will wear a festive look and will give the feeling of ‘right out of the fairy tale’. Polish take Christmas very seriously and museums, churches, train stations and even street light poles will make sure there is celebration in air.

6. Affordability

There is definitely value for money if you travel to Poland, as compared to other european countries. Grocery stores, restaurants and public transportation is cheaper than most other European countries! With a low tourist season in winters, the hotels also have great deals and weekend parties.

The Polish złoty is the currency of Poland. Some quick conversion as of December 2018:

7. Shopping

Whether you are shopping for winter wear, decorations and chimes for the tree or candies, the Christmas markets and malls have beautiful designs and discounts. The market is full of handmade items that will make for a perfect souvenir. You can pick up handmade plates, jewelry made of gold, silver and amber, ceramic figurines, wooden cutlery like spoons, forks, plates, and serving dishes.Poland is also famous for its Bolesławiec Pottery and you can pick up something for your kitchen or showcase.

Souvenir shopping

Sustainable tips for Christmas in Poland:

Though Uber cabs are available and cheap, use the extremely efficient public transport which ensures last mile connectivity.

Try the locals items at streets, rather than going to the chain restaurants. It gives a fair chance of earning for the locals.

Poland heavily relies on coal energy and has huge power plants all over the country. Switch off the electric device if not required.

Do not litter in market squares. Dispose plastics in the designated waste bins.

20 comments

This looks like fairytale and is forever dream to visit christmas markets of europe.
You mentioned so many reasons to visit beautiful country poland in winter and architecture is stunning..Loved the read

You are so going to get me in trouble! Darcee has been harassing me to take her to any of the famous European Christmas market because she has always dreamed of exploring them though I am sort of or at least was indifferent to them. However, Christmas in Poland looks really awesome. Obviously the Christmas market in the major cities like Krakow look cool and the food sounds amazing. But I actually stopped when I saw your pic of the ‘Szopki’! Those little cribs with the model buildings look so ornate and beautiful. I am sure the real buildings are great but to see one of those cribs sounds like a lot of fun!

OK, so seriously, snow would be cool, but I have many Polish friends who tell me snow is cool, but absolutely not a given, especially with the way our climate has been acting up. We were just in Berlin over Christmas and it was cold, but not cold enough for snow … too bad. LOVE the look of that mulled wine photo with the rosmary and orange … looks delicious.

Loved this! I went to Vienna last month and it was my first trip to Europe (at Christmas) and my first European Christmas market and now I’m hooked. I love all the candies and ornaments like in your photos. The models of the gothic cribs are amazing! Did you find the ones in Poland to be overcrowded or manageable?

I plan on being in Poland in a few weeks and am hoping that these beautiful decorations and lights will still be up! I’m most excited to wander the streets, the markets, try the food and enjoy Poland in all its glory! Thanks for sharing a snippet of what its like in Poland around Christmas time!

It seems that Poland has everything to offer at Christmas. It is affordable with small crowds and fantastic food a shopping. We need to plan a trip to see the Christmas Markets — and indulge our sweet tooth. If only I could plan a trip with a guarantee of snow while admiring the decorations and architecture of the country.

I adore Poland and am dying to go back and check out more! I about 10 days in Krakow last April and fell in love, though man oh man, it was cold! I can only imagine how chilly Christmas might be… good thing their are plenty of pierogies, borch and hot wine to keep you warm! Great roundup of some of the best parts of the holidays in Poland!

We have friends that visited family in Poland this year. Everything you mentioned were things they talked of as well. Especially the foods and the Christmas markets! Would so love to visit Europe during winter one year.

Poland is already one of my top 3 bucket list travel destinations so perhaps I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone and just go for Christmas…taking care of my Christmas markets visit. Thanks for the info. Looks awesome!

I have yet to experience Europe at Christmas and I’d be totally game to go to Poland during the holiday season.
Looks like it is affordable too. The models are just gorgeous! So intricate and colorful.

Christmas in my country is always hot as we are in Summer, but experiencing Christmas during a winter period is something I would love!
Your first photo of the reindeer and carriage is stunning! There is something about Christmas lights that makes me happy! Looks like a beautiful place to visit and im all for visiting in the off season when there is not as many people! LOL! Happy Travels 🙂

Yay! We love Poland at Christmastime. We were just there and visited the Wroclaw Christmas market. It was lovely. I absolutely agree with everything you are saying and love your tips for sustainable travel in Poland.